Antro della Sibilla
Bacoli
KnownHistory & archaeology
The story
A long trapezoidal corridor carved into the tufo (volcanic tuff), cut by blades of light, where Virgil imagined the Sibyl prophesying among the shadows of the rock.
Access
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The story
The Cave of the Sibyl (Antro della Sibilla) is a long gallery carved into the tuff of the acropolis of Cumae, identified with the place where the Cumaean Sibyl pronounced her oracles. Virgil describes it in the Aeneid, when Aeneas questions her before descending to the underworld: few places in the world weave archaeology and myth together so closely.
What to see
The trapezoidal corridor, long and solemn, lit by lateral shafts of light, leads to the oracular chamber: to walk it is an evocative experience, suspended between the Greek history of Cumae and Virgil's tale. It is part of the archaeological park of Cumae.
How to get there
- Cumana
Tips
The Cave is inside the Archaeological Park of Cumae: it is visited together with the acropolis and the temples. As for the whole Flegrean area, find out about openings and conditions on the official channels before setting off. Comfortable shoes for the open-air archaeological route.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Cave of the Sibyl?
A gallery carved into the tuff at Cumae, identified with the place of the oracles of the Cumaean Sibyl and tied to the tale of Virgil's Aeneid.
Where is the Cave of the Sibyl?
In the acropolis of Cumae, in the Archaeological Park of the Campi Flegrei.
What links the Cave of the Sibyl to Virgil?
In the Aeneid, Virgil sets here the prophecy of the Sibyl before Aeneas's descent to the underworld.
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